Dragon Doppelganger
by Tsuki Shizuku
Summary: Alex Rider is sent on a new mission,all the way to China. There is something wrong there,terribly wrong.People are sick and someone in China is guilty but holds the cure. Yet...there is also someone else Alex meets along the way, Alexis. Alexis Rider. R
1. Prologue

Prologue 

A girl loaded her gun quietly but swiftly. She glanced upwards over the bushes and hoped she was well hidden. She mustn't get caught. The expectations were way too high and so were the risks.

A flash of movement and immediately her eyes caught hold of the figure, it was her target. The figure had their back facing her and she watched her target intently, clutching the gun tightly.

Her hair was fair and her eyes, piercing. She was young, too young to be wielding the gun in her hands now…too young to be in this line of business, _assassin_.

No getting up and raising her gun silently, she shot. The bullet plunged into the man but he wasn't killed. It was only a tranquilizer, luckily for the man. She stalked towards the limp figure and gave the body a kick, no reaction. She raised the phone given to her from the agency and dialed a number.

After a moments pause a voice came out, "Is it done?" A man's voice rasped from the other end.

"Yes, it's done," she simply answered

"We'll come and receive you within ten minutes."

"Okay, I'll be waiting," she said with no emotion expressing in her voice.

She was about to hang out when the voice came again, "Oh yes, and another thing..."

"What is it?" she was feeling impatient, she didn't like where she was but she hardly ever…after all, nowhere was safe but headquarters.

"Good job, **Alexis**," the line went dead. She snapped her phone shut and slipped it in her pocket.

That was her, Alexis. _Alexis Rider_.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 --- 

Alex Rider cursed and bent over to pick up the glass shards. This week so far had not gone well. Not at all. He had not only drop things, crashed into them, got lectured and treated like a freak at school but been piled with mounds of homework to make up for the time he was away from school on missions…

I mean, after all, Alex _is_ a spy.

"Alex! Are you okay?" Jack Starbright rushed to the boy's side.

"I'm fine, sorry about the cup though," the fair-haired boy muttered.

"Alex, what should I do with you?" Jack was the housekeeper and guardian of Alex ever since Ian Rider had passed away, "Lately you've been so…so…out of it!" She ran her hand in her tangled red hair and let out an exasperated sigh.

"Jack, I'm fine, it's just been a rough week…that's all" Alex merely said as he dumped the glass. He sucked on a cut he got on his thumb and made note to use a broom next time. Or even better, make sure to be no next time.

"Aren't you going out?" he quickly changed the subject.

She checked her watch then rushed to the door, "I'm late!" Alex couldn't suppress the smile that crept onto his face…that was Jack for you.

The phone rang and sighing, Alex went to pick it up, "Hello, Alex Rider speaking."

"Alex? This is Alan Blunt, could you stop by today?" the one on the other end was the person Alex least wanted to hear from right then.

"I'll be right over," he sighed and slammed the phone down. The ever-growing mound of homework would have to wait.

---.---.---

At noon Alex arrived in front of a bank. This was no ordinary bank, it was actually and undercover base of M16. Taking a deep breath, Alex entered. His eyes fell on Mrs. Jones who nodded in his direction. He quickly quickened his pace and followed her to Alan Blunt's office.

"Alex, sit down," Blunt gestured to the chair once Alex had arrived to his office.

The boy flung himself impatiently into the chair as he crossed his arms, "What do you want?" There was a distinct annoyed look on his face as he paused after every word he had just said for effect.

"Yes, about that," he let out a sigh…Alan Blunt just didn't quite get teenage boys, especially Alex Rider who was noticeably, unique. Maybe he should listen to Mrs. Jones more often…or even once at the least. "I have a request."

"It's always the same! More like you want to send me on a mission, and if I refuse you use something against me…" he glowered at the rather boring man in his opinion, "I hear that they call that _blackmailing_ even in this country."

"Do you accept then?" Mrs. Jones spoke up, sucking on her peppermint like usual. How much agents did she send to their grave with the same tone and smell of peppermint.

"Fine, but _no_ more after this." Alex said after a moment, he felt that he couldn't escape. Like all this was strangling him and holding onto him…a cycle with no return that's so repetitive. He just couldn't feel…_alive_ without all this. "I just want to live a _normal_ life after this," yet he added stubbornly.

"Debrief him," Blunt said to Mrs. Jones but she had already opened the folder that she placed in Alex's outstretched hands. She stopped the incoming worried look from crossing her face, Alex was still so young…too young.

"This is Zhang Li, head of an international underground group," he saw an older looking man who had no hair besides a long ponytail that was thin and at the back of his head. He had tiny black jewels for eyes with a tint of blood red in them, a cruel look was permanently stuck on his face and there was a thin scar that ran from the edge of the right of his mouth, trailing down his neck. Alex shivered without quite knowing why.

"Zhang Li is in charge of a deadly criminal group, just like Scorpia…except far worse. We need you to spy on them since there is word they have made a new disease and are planning on spreading it… That's when you come in, Alex, since this group tend to use teenagers like yourself…in other words, we are enrolling you in their school," she sucked on her peppermint and fell quiet.

"When do I start?" Alec merely muttered, this spy business was growing on him. He knew the risks were high but after discovering the truth about his father… He knew he had to serve his country even if this last time. And with the guidance and pride of what he father had done, Alex felt a surge of new attitude and hope.

If only he could spread all that to everyone else. If only…

"I'll send you to Smithers and you'll take the midnight flight," Alan Blunt said just as Mrs. Jones began to lead Alex to his destination.

Once the door of Alan Blunt's office was closed and Mrs. Jones and Alex were in the elevator she spoke up, "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"What else can I do?" he murmured as he caught a waft of her peppermint. No more was needed to be said they had already arrived.

"Alex!" Smithers broke into a huge grin as Alex entered his office Mrs. Jones had left already. Alex couldn't help but notice it looks as if Smithers had lost a few pounds.

"You look…great?" the boy gave a tiny smiled as he sat on the plush chair as the large man began to tell him about his gadgets this time.

"It's been a real challenge thinking of gadgets this time… I mean that group is not somebody you want to mess with! And this time around, no mistakes or you're dead!" Smithers said in a low serious voice that was rare for him, "Now the first gadget…is this." He held up an ear stud and a groan came from Alex.

"Not again!" Before on his mission he had had a stud and didn't quite enjoy it, not one bit…

Smithers let out a small smile, "This time this earring is very dangerous. Be _very_ careful with this, once you take it off…and push the back of the earring all the way," With his pudgy hands he fumbled with the earring and pushed the back of it a little…almost all the way there. "Take aim to an enemy or lock and it'll explode. Best not to take it off at all, chap."

He placed the earring on the table, it looked normal enough and the diamond glinted like a real jewel. "Cool…?"

"Now we're also going to give you this necklace, you can pretend it was your father's or a heirloom," it was a plain metal looking necklace shaped as a fang, "When you soak it with saliva it will become a smoke bomb after 10 seconds, so be very careful."

Smithers studied Alex for a few moments and finally spoke up, "I wish I could give you more…much more. But I only have one item left that may really come to use for you. It goes with your cover, obviously."

He opened his drawer and brought out a **gun**. He laid it down on the desk with a gentle _plop_.

Alex sat there, all thoughts stopped…what were they really trying to prepare him for?

"It's only loaded with tranquilizers that look like bullets…" The man scratched his baldhead with a worried sigh.

"Smithers…I'm scared," Alex felt like saying but he bit his tongue and merely nodded.

"I know, you're scared, I can see it in your eyes. I'm not stupid, Alex," Smithers said but the boy just nodded and avoided his glance.

Mrs. Jones walked in then and they went for preparations. They real fear and feeling of weird premonition struck Alex's chest. He knew something was about to happen. Something big.

---.----.---

"Is he going to be okay?" Mrs. Jones asked after Alex had left.

Alan Blunt gazed out the window with a clouded expression, "You know I can't answer that question."

"But I cant help but ask every time," the woman looked years older now with a tired look, "Every time he has come back but this time…"

"He just might may not," Blunt finished for her and all was silence. It was all up to fate and Alex Rider's very hands.


End file.
